North Korea fires short-range missile into sea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Defense Ministry says North Korea has fired a short-range ballistic missile into waters off its east coast.

The launch is the latest in a slew of missile and rocket tests the North has been conducting in recent weeks.

A ministry official says the missile fired from North Korea’s southwest Hwanghae province on Saturday evening flew about 500 kilometers (310 miles) across the country before landing in the ocean.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity, citing department rules, and gave no further details.

The launch comes on the eve of the 61st anniversary of the signing of an armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. The armistice has yet to be replaced by a peace treaty, thus leaving the Korean Peninsula in a technical state of war.